It's Been 15 Years Since A True Rock Band Has Played The Super Bowl Halftime Show And It's Time For That To Change

Look...I get why the Super Bowl Halftime Show has gone the way of pop stars. I get it- they want to get the numbies on social media from the non-football crowd. Yes it is sort of silly to suggest people are tuning in specifically for the Halftime Show and not the game, but I suppose those people do exist and the NFL is dead set on getting that audience engaged in the product (hence why they set up the Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift relationship, amiright?). Conspiracy theories aside, again, I understand why they trot out the likes of Beyonce and Shakira and The Weeknd every year. But Adele? They've lost me, and as the kids say, they've lost the plot as well.

I like Adele. Pipes like ya read about. Bangers on bangers on bangers. But who wants to cry during the Halftime Show? You really want 25 minutes of Adele sobbing and your girlfriend texting her ex? No thanks. So while in theory I get why they want mega-pop stars as the halftime entertainment, they also need to be selective about who it is. But at the same time, variety is the spice of life and that brings me to my main point- there hasn't been a real rock band as the headliner since 2016 if you count Coldplay, and if not, we have to go all the way back to 2010 for The Who. That is 15 years! And I guess since the Super Bowl is in 2026, that would make it 16 years but you get the point. Let's list all the bands/singers/performers since 2010:

2011: The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash

2012: Madonna

2013: Beyonce

2014: Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers

2015: Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott

2016: Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars

2017: Lady Gaga

2018: Justin Timberlake, The Tennessee Kids

2019: Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi

2020: Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Emme Muniz

2021: The Weeknd

2022: Eminem, Dr. Dre. Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige

2023: Rihanna

2024: Usher with special guests Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris

2025: Kendrick Lamar with special guest SZA

Ok so in 2014 I guess the Chili Peppers were there with Bruno Mars which I vaguely remember sorta but they didn't headline. And honestly I just lied when I said I vaguely remember, because I don't. Could be a me thing, but regardless, they didn't headline.

2016 was Coldplay which some would say is rock, but they were with fucking Beyonce and Bruno Mars (AGAIN). Any time Beyonce is on the bill, she's the headliner. 

The most rock n roll person of the bunch is Lady Gaga. Her 2017 show is one of legends. And let me say this- I'm not saying that list is trash or the shows sucked. I am saying it's pop star after pop star after pop star. How many times can Bruno Mars do a halftime show? Do we really need The Weeknd, Maroon 5, J Balvin, and who the fuck is Emme Muniz? Give me Frankie Muniz instead. 

Here's my pitch- American Rock Bands. There are plenty of huge, mainstream (which the NFL deeply cares about) rock n roll bands that could pull in the same numbers as Adele. The Foo Fighters and The Killers, the two of them alone, could do it. Add in Metallica opening the show with Enter Sandman. Guns N Roses exist. Green Day is still massive. He's already done it, but Bruce could hop in there. I mean shit, you could do a halftime show of bands from "my day"- 

Good Charlotte - The Anthem

Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

Sum 41- Fat Lip

Paramore - Misery Business

Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Going Down

Blink 182 - Feeling This, All The Small Things, What's My Age Again, Dammit

I mean obviously I catered that a little more towards my liking but you get the idea- there are so many ways to do a rock n roll halftime show while still appealing to the mainstream. 

Adele is cool. Adele can sing. But she should not be on the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage this year. Let's give rock a chance, Roger.